1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for treating liquid sewage and waste to deodorize and destroy pathogenic bacteria contained therein.
2. Prior Art Relating to the Disclosure
Many municipal sewage treatment processes in use today are encountering severe disposal problems with regard to sewage sludge. Because of the increasingly stringent water pollution regulations, sewage sludge can no longer be dumped into water bodies. It is also becoming increasingly difficult to find suitable landfill sites for disposal of sewage sludge. Generally, the sewage sludge has an unacceptable bacteria content, and, for that reason, cannot be directly used as a soil fertilizer or amendment without further treatment.
Numerous methods are known for treatment of waste. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,188 discloses a treatment apparatus and method for treating sewage and waste using a pressurized vessel which receives high purity oxygen or ozone in the upper portion thereof. A stream of sewage is injected into the oxygen-rich atmosphere against a comminutor device which breaks the sewage into small particles to allow it to quickly absorb the oxygen under pressure and provide rapid biological chemical oxidation and ozone sterilization.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,728,254 discloses a method and apparatus for production of fertilizer using a modified activated sludge treatment process. Organic kitchen waste, yard and garden trimmings and trash are comminuted and introduced into sanitary sewage lines for conveying to the treatment plant as a combined effluent. The combined effluent is directed into an aeration tank modified to provide supplemental aeration sufficient to biochemically decompose the solids and form a mixed liquid effluent rich in plant nutrients.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,331 discloses an aeration tank for waste treatment wherein the initial contact between gaseous oxygen and waste material is made at hydrostatic pressures of not less than 9 psi using an open, vertically elongated aeration tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,287 discloses a process of treating organic waste to sterilize, deodorize and dewater the waste utilizing the heat generated by the chemical reaction of magnesium oxide and sulfuric acid.